Older, wiser Brown ready to lead Texas RB trio

By Mike Finger |
August 20, 2012
| Updated: August 20, 2012 8:19pm

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Malcolm Brown, soph.: Has the power to gain yards inside and the quickness to get around the edge.

Joe Bergeron, soph.: The former fullback is a load inside and is probably UT's best short-yardage option.

Johnathan Gray, fresh.: Known for long, dazzling runs in high school, he is probably the fastest of the trio of backs.

AUSTIN – Malcolm Brown is old, venerable and game-hardened and full of the kind of wisdom he wishes kids would listen to but knows they probably won't.

When he was a wide-eyed, 18-year-old running back in 2011, he didn't have the perspective he has now. He struggled to figure out pass protection, allowed himself to be overwhelmed by the attention of playing at Texas, and regularly treated himself to Little Debbie Zebra Cakes.

The more experienced Brown shakes his head at that stuff. And when he talks to Johnathan Gray, the freshman who like Brown joined the Longhorns as one of the top running back recruits in the nation, he tries to make him understand.

"The crowd's going to get all hyped up when you get your first touch, and you're going to feel like there's pressure on you," Brown said he told Gray. "But it's still the game of football."

And if that simple game of football can be won by handing the ball off to fast, strong guys, the Longhorns think adding Gray's flash to Brown's savvy and Joe Bergeron's bruising ability could make them as dominant as any ground game in the sport.

Uncertainty remains in the incessant David Ash-Case McCoy quarterback competition, but UT has no shortage of answers at tailback. Last year, the Longhorns utilized then-freshmen Brown and Bergeron to average 202 rushing yards per game, 21st in the country.

By adding a third teenager to the group - specifically, a teenager who raced to more high school touchdowns than anyone in history - and by bringing back the bulk of a maturing offensive line, they think they can be better.

"The running game we were building in steps last year we know is going to be great this year," guard Trey Hopkins said. "We have some stallions back there."

And the styles are diverse enough to take advantage of just about any kind of track. If UT needs to pound the ball between the tackles, Bergeron, with his barrel chest and enormous thighs, is the man. If the Longhorns want a runner who can get wide before turning upfield, Gray has that ability.

And then there's Brown, the former Cibolo Steele standout whom coach Mack Brown has praised for being the most consistent back during the preseason.

"Joe does bring the power and the size, and Johnathan's a real fast guy," Malcolm Brown said. "I guess I've been told I can bring both to the game and contribute in my own way."

Bryan Harsin, UT's offensive play-caller, said all three will get their chances. And as Bergeron pointed out, defenses will have to not only worry about being worn down, but also preparing for three skill sets.

"Everybody does something different than the other guy," Harsin said. "They all deserve to play. You want to give them some reps so they can get a hot hand a little bit."

Brown and Bergeron spent time owning that hot hand last year, but both were limited by leg injuries they now say were the result of not taking good enough care of their bodies. So Bergeron cut out soft drinks and sweet tea and loaded up on grilled chicken and vegetables, and Brown cut out the desserts, and both have taken stretching more seriously.

And now, even though he has old-man knowledge, Brown, 19, says he's preparing for a youthful breakthrough, too.

"I want to make a huge leap in every aspect of my game," Brown said. "Just be a whole new person."